William B. Ready
April 19, 1844-Feb. 12, 1913

Niles Daily Sun, Wednesday, February 13, 1913, page 1, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

SUDDEN DEATH OF WILLIAM R. READY
Life long resident of Niles, Ill but one day.

William Ready, a life long resident of Niles, died suddenly this morning about 9 o'clcok at his home 906 south Third street.

Mr. Ready became ill with heart trouble yesterday and received medical attention from Dr. Giddings. This morning the physician was again summoned but Mr. Ready was dead when the doctor reached the house.

Mr. Ready was born in Niles in 1844. He was a carpenter by trade and during the past summer he engaged in this work.

His wife has been dead a number of years.

Mr. Ready is survived by two sisters, Mrs. William Hutton and Mrs. Moore of Mexico City and a brother, Raymond who is in the Hawaian[sic] Islands.

The deceased has been a member of the Calanthe lodge Knight of Pythias for many years.

The funeral will be held Friday morning at 10 o'clock from the residence. Rev. E.M. Renner will officate.

Calanthe lodge will also assist in the services.

Relatives of the late Mrs. Ready from Kalamazoo will come for the funeral.

Note: Reference in headline to middle initial "R" appears to be typo. Death record and cemetery listing are for William B. Ready

Catherine Beyrer (Schultz)
Aug. 28, 1835-Feb. 12, 1913

Niles Daily Sun, Wednesday, February 12, 1913, page 1, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

MRS. L. BEYRER DIED SUDDENLY
Well known resident of country north of NIles stricken with paralysis as she slept

Mrs. Catherine Beyrer, a pioneer and highly esteemed resident of the country north of Niles, passed away suddenly about 12:45 o'clock this morning.

Mrs. Beyrer suffered a stroke of paralysis last fall and has since been in ill health. However, she has been able to out and yesterday she made calls on some of her neighbors. She retired about 9 o'clcok and shortly after midnight her daughter hearing her mother breathing heavily hurried to her bedside.

Mrs. Beyrer had evidently suffered a second stroke of paralysis and did not again rally.

The sudden and unexpected death is deplored by many friends of the estimable lady.

Mrs. Beyrer's maiden name was Catherine Schultz. She was 77 years of age and her birthplace is in Germany.

At the age of 18 she came to Niles. She was married to Lucas Beyrer, who died nine years ago, and had since resided in the house, two and a half miles north of Niles where their deaths occurred.

Six children survive their mother, as follows: Miss Mary Beyrer, Kalamazoo; Mrs. Chas Rogers, Sumnerville; Mrs. Louise Kehrer, Sister Lakes; Misses Minnie and Sarah, who reside at the family home and William Beyers[sic] of Chicago. Two sisters, Mrs. Charles Beyrer of Buchanan and Mrs. William Nothdurst of Sister Lakes.

Mrs. Beyrer is a member of the Ladies' Society of St. John's German church of this city.

The funeral will be held from the house at 1 o'clock Friday afternoon and from St. John's church in this city at 2 o'clock.

Martha J. Warren
Sept. 20, 1856-Feb. 9, 1913

Niles Daily Sun, Monday, February 10, 1913, page 1, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

MRS. FRANK WARREN PASSED AWAY SUNDAY
A useful life of a noble Christian woman is ended

Mrs. Frank J. Warren, whose maiden name was Martha J. Champion was born near South Bend, Ind., Sept. 20, 1856. She came to Niles with her parent when a child. She was the second oldest in the family of seven children consisting of two girls and five boys. She was married to Frank J. Warren June 21, 1899 and for fourteen years they enjoyed a happy home life.

Mrs. Warren was one of those women whose first thought and care was for the comfort and happiness of the home. Our country is blest with many such noble unselfish women who are helping to lighten  burdens and sweeten the lives of those with whom they associate. It can be truly said of her life that "she did what she could. Always cheerful and looking for the good in others trying to make their virturs[sic] large, and their faults small. She had the happy faculty of making friends and retaining friendship. She united with the Methodist Episcopal church when quite a young girl and was always faithful and loyal to her vows. She was an honest worker in the Ladies' Aid Society, Woman's Home MIssionary Society and a member of the Woman's Bible Class. She made a warm place for herself in the hearts ofd[sic] and young in the church and the memory of her Christain love and charity will be an inspiration to the life of the church.

For two years she served as Captain in the Salvation Army and was successful and held in high esteem by the officers and members, but feeling that she was needed in the home she gave up the army to help care for her mother.

Mrs. Warren had been a great sufferer for over two years, but was cheerful and patient even when she was suffering most, her thought was for others. On Saturday she seemed to know that her suffering would son be over when she said, "Tomorrow I shall  be singing in Heaven."

She passed from suffering to rest Sunday morning at 7:30 o'clock.

She leaves a husband Frank J. Warren of Warrens and Co's hardware store, her mother, Mrs. Mariah Champion, one sister, Ella who has the department of drawing in the Public Schools, five brothers, John of Hartford, William, Charles, George and Frank of Niles.

The funeral will be held from the M.E. church Tuesday afteroon at 2:30 o'clock. Interment at Silver Brook.

Arthur W. Coffinger, Jr.
Aug. 18, 1988-Nov. 16, 1930

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, November 19, 1930, page 1, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

Arthur Coffinger of Pontiac is Buried in Silver Brook Today

The body of Arthur Coffinger of Pontiac, fatally injured on Saturday afternoon as he was returning to Pontiac after attending the Michigan-Minnesota game in Ann Arbor, was brought to Niles this afternoon and buried in the Coffinger family lot in Silver Brook cemetery. The Rev. G. W. Simon, pastor of the Presbyterian church, conducted the committal service.  Accompanying the body to Niles was the widow of the deceased; and the latter's brother, A.L. Johnson, of Pontiac, a sister of the deceased, Miss Margaret Coffinger, of Grand Rapids, a son of Mrs. Lillie Davis Newman, and his wife, of Rochester, N.Y., and other relatives and they were met here by a group of Niles relatives and friends. Mrs. Newman who was a former resident of Niles for many years and who now lives in Bufflao was unable to come to Niles today on account of ill health.

Mr. Coffinger died on Sunday in the Beyers hospital in Ypsilanti where he was taken after the accident. His wife who was driving the car at the time of the accident was severely cut but her injuries were not considered serious.  Particulars of the accidents are not available but resulted from a collision of about five cars as they were being driven out of the heavy line leaving Ann Arbor after the game.

Walter A. Dougan
July 26, 1910-April 23, 1982

Niles Daily Star, Monday, April 26, 1982, page 2, col. 7-8, microfilm Niles District Library

Walter A. Dougan, 71, a former Niles resident living in Chicago, died Friday in a convalescent home in Chicago.

Survivors include his wife, Betty; four daughters, Judity Amico of South Bend, Susan Skoff, Bonnie Snarsky, and Tina Dougan; two sons, Walter T., and Daniel, both of Chicago; 18 grandchildren; one brother Roy, and a sister, Laura. A daughter, Alice Irene, is deceased.

Graveside services for Walter A. Dougan will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Silverbrook Cemetery. Tohley Funeral Home in Chicago is in charge of arrangements.

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, April 27, 1982, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

The time of services for Walter A. Dougan, 71, who died Friday, were incorrectly listed as 1:30 p.m. today. They will be at 2:30 p.m. at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Note: DOB from Social Security Death Index

Sarah Dougan
Aug. 31,1843-Jan. 22, 1931

Niles Daily Star, Friday, January 23, 1931, page 1, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

MRS. SARAH DOUGAN, DAUGHTER OF NILES' FIRST BUILDER, DIES
Passes Away at Age 88 Years age; Several Months of Illness

Death removed a pioneer resident of Niles on Thursday afternoon when Mrs. Sarah Dougan, 88, widow of Thomas Dougan, died in Pawating hospital, where after several months of illness she was taken a few days ago. The body is now at the Troost and Augustine funeral parlors, and according to present plans the funeral services will be held there on next Tuesday afternoon at 2:30, the time for the services having been delayed to permit Arthur Dougan who resides in Needles, Calif., to reach Niles.

Mrs. Dougan was born in Niles on Aug. 31, 1843, to Jacob K. and Sara Jane Brown. She was one of 10 children of the family of whom two sisters survive her. Her father was born in Indiana. He came to Niles in 1831 and learned the carpenter and builder trade with Thoms Deniston. Many of the oldest buildings still standing in Niles were built by Mr. Brown, houses, stores and mills having been erected by him. In the late 40's he built for his own family home and from a choice of numerous sites, the which is now occupied by the Berger Stockfleth family and located on Brown avenue and almost opposite the home of Mrs. Dougan for many years. When the Blackhawk war broke out Mr. Brown enlisted under Captain Benjamn Finch with 75 other man waited in Niles for General Williams to arrive from Detroit and then marched with him and men he brought with him to Chicago, where they were left in the old fort until the regular army men arrived. They were then sent home, by way of the lake from Chicago to St. Joseph on the old Napoleon, and they marched from St. Joseph to Niles, where they were paid off and a few years later received a deed to 160 acres of land. In 1838 Mr. Brown was elected to one of the trustees of the villlage of Niles.

Mrs. Dougan was throughout her life time deeply interested in the development of Niles and when the centennial of the founding of Niles was celebrated a years ago she contributed  numerous articles for her own home from display which were associated with the early days fo Niles.

Mrs. Dougan is survived by one son, Arthur Dougan, of Needles, Calif., two sisters, Mrs. Frank Claverign of Chicago and Mrs. Emma Mahoney of Niles, and the following grandchildren, Miss Blanche Dougan, of Gary, Ind., daughter of Fred Dougan, deceased, Mrs. Earl Mathews, Walter and Roy Dougan, of Niles, children of Walter Dougan, deceased.

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, January 24, 1931, page 4, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

FUNERAL MRS. DOUGAN

The funeral services for Mrs. Sarah Dougan, widow of Thomas Dougan, will be conducted by the Rev. L. Ferguson, rector of St. James Episcopal church of South Bend. Pending the arrival of Mrs. Dougan's son, Arthur from Needles, Calif., the time for the services is now set for next Thursday afternoon.